Vehicle control apparatus

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus determines that a control start condition is satisfied when there is an object in an area of a route which the own vehicle moves and executes a steering control of steering the own vehicle to increase a yaw angle of the own vehicle with respect to a moving lane of the own vehicle and decrease the yaw angle to avoid a collision of the own vehicle with the object when determining that control start condition is satisfied. The vehicle control apparatus determines that a control termination condition is satisfied when the yaw angle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined yaw angle, and a steering angle of the own vehicle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined steering angle after starting steering the own vehicle to decrease the yaw angle in executing the steering control.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle control apparatus, comprising:
 a sensor which detects own vehicle forward information on a situation ahead of an own vehicle; and 
 an electronic control unit configured to:
 determine that an alerting start condition is satisfied when there is an object in an area of a route which the own vehicle moves and a first estimated time-to-collision is less than a first threshold, based on the own vehicle forward information; 
 execute an alerting control when the electronic control unit determines that the alerting start condition is satisfied; 
 determine that a control start condition is satisfied when the alerting control is being executed and a second estimated time-to-collision is less than a second threshold, based on the own vehicle forward information, wherein the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold; and 
 execute a steering control of steering the own vehicle to increase a yaw angle of the own vehicle with respect to a moving lane of the own vehicle and decrease the yaw angle to avoid a collision of the own vehicle with the object when the electronic control unit determines that the control start condition is satisfied, 
 
 wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 determine that a control termination condition is satisfied when the yaw angle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined yaw angle, and a steering angle of the own vehicle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined steering angle after the electronic control unit starts steering the own vehicle to decrease the yaw angle in executing the steering control; and 
 terminate executing the steering control when the control termination condition is satisfied. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the control termination condition includes a condition that a change rate of the steering angle of the own vehicle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined change rate after the electronic control unit starts steering the own vehicle to decrease the yaw angle in executing the steering control. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the control termination condition includes a condition that a yaw rate of the own vehicle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined yaw rate after the electronic control unit starts steering the own vehicle to decrease the yaw angle in executing the steering control. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cancel executing the steering control when a steering torque input to a steering wheel of the own vehicle by a driver of the own vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined steering torque while the steering control is executed. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 execute the steering control to set a moving route of the own vehicle for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle with the object as a recommended route when the control start condition is satisfied; and 
 execute the steering control to assist operations applied by a driver of the own vehicle to a steering wheel of the own vehicle to move the own vehicle along the recommended route. 
 
     
     
       6. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the recommended route extends in the moving lane of the own vehicle. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cancel executing the steering control when the electronic control unit cannot set the recommended route. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
 execute the steering control to set a moving route of the own vehicle for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle with the object as a target route when the control start condition is satisfied; and 
 execute the steering control to move the own vehicle along the target route. 
 
     
     
       9. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the target route extends in the moving lane of the own vehicle. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cancel executing the steering control when the electronic control unit cannot set the target route. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein to execute the alerting control comprises to perform at least one of displaying an alerting image on a display of the own vehicle and outputting an alerting sound from a speaker of the own vehicle. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cancel executing the alerting control when the electronic control unit determines that the control start condition is satisfied. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine the moving route of the own vehicle for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle with the object based at least on the operations applied by the driver of the own vehicle. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine the moving route of the own vehicle for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle with the object by ignoring operations applied by a driver of the own vehicle.